Innovative soap that could treat skin cancer

The idea came from Heman Bekele, a 15-year-old teenager. The little genius was bold as he thought of a soap capable of preventing and treating skin cancer...

It should be noted that this soap doesn't exist, it's still at the conceptual stage, written on paper, and many technical challenges must be overcome to see it become a reality.

From his homeland, Ethiopia, Heman Bekele, who received significant attention following his title of "Child of the Year" from Time magazine, was able to see how prolonged exposure to the sun could have harmful effects on workers' skin. An awareness that, as highlighted by the Belgian media RTBF, prompted the teenager to seek an accessible and effective solution to protect the skin from ultraviolet rays. His passion for science gradually led him to design the idea of the soap. An ambitious product aimed at preventing as well as treating skin cancer, which would be made available in parts of the world where care is expensive and rare.

Chemical formula with three key ingredients

In a few words, Heman's concept is based on a specific chemical formula, composed of tretinoin, salicylic acid, and glycolic acid. The first component blocks the proliferation of cancer cells, the second removes dead cells, and the third promotes skin renewal.

A question then arises: how to preserve the effectiveness of these components once the skin is rinsed? To overcome the rinsing problem, the teenager suggested introducing lipid nanoparticles in his formula. These are designed to adhere to the skin, so they would allow the active ingredients to penetrate deeply into the skin and remain effective even after rinsing, reports RTBF.

When boldness pays off

Although the idea is promising, it faces many technical challenges. The integration of nanoparticles still requires research, the effectiveness of the soap in real conditions must also be proven. Meticulous testing and scientific validations are also essential for the commercialization of a safe and high-performance product.

Today, Heman Bekele can congratulate himself for daring. Because it's his audacity that has prompted several prestigious research institutes to look into his concept. In 2024, the teenager was even recruited by Johns Hopkins University, where he can count on the support of Professor Vito Rebecca.

(MH with Raphaël Liset - Source: RTBF - Illustration: ©Unsplash)